Justin Bieber's manager Scooter Braun was 'worried every night' that he would die from an overdose

By Christine Estera| 2 months ago

The fears he had for Bieber

Less than one week since Mac Miller's death from an apparent drug overdose, Justin Bieber's manager has revealed that he once feared the pop star was destined for the same tragic fate as the rapper.

Scooter Braun -- who also happens to be the long-time manager of Miller's ex-girlfriend, Ariana Grande -- has been Bieber's manager since the beginning, seeing the singer through the highs and lows of his career. But there was a period where the 24-year-old was so troubled that Braun was convinced Bieber's days were numbered.

"There was a time when I would go to sleep almost every night -- when he had the money to fly away from me -- and I was worried every night that I was going to lose him," Braun told Van Lathan's The Red Pill Podcast this week.

"I thought he was going to die," he added. "I thought he was going to sleep one night and that he would have so much crap in his system that he would not wake up the next morning."

During this worrying time, Braun, 37, said that he forced Bieber to take some time off touring and recording so he could focus on getting better -- and this did not go down well with the singer.

"He used to yell and scream at me," said Braun. "He wanted to put music out, he wanted to tour, but I thought if he did that, he would die. So I just refused."

It was the year 2014 when Bieber was experiencing a dark period due to his alleged substance abuse issues. TMZ reported that the singer was "using drugs with alarming regularity" that family and friends had urged him to enter rehab.

That same year, while Bieber was just 19, he was also arrested for driving under the influence while allegedly drag racing in Miami. Just two days before his DUI, police raided his LA home because they believed he was involved in an egg-throwing incident which caused US$20,000 damage to his neighbour's home.

(Miami Beach PD)

Today, Bieber has found salvation in religion and is engaged to marry model Hailey Baldwin. While many are crediting Braun for his spectacular comeback, the manager said that all the praise should go to the star himself.

"I think he made a conscious choice for himself to change," Braun said in the podcast. "I think for a year-and-a-half I failed miserably trying to help him, because for year-and-a-half he didn't change… It wasn't until one day he woke up and said, 'Hey, I need to talk to you, I don't want to be that person anymore.'"

If you, or someone you know would like to talk to someone confidentially about addiction, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit Reach Out. In an emergency, call 000.